It would be foolish and arrogant to assert that any artist today is so because he or she figured it out all on their own. Even an art form/ style that may not be in vogue or viewed as worthwhile is derived from what has come before in my estimation. The simple fact that the tools we use are the same is more proof that we learn from the others who have come before.  I can state with certainty I’ve picked up my share of “tricks” from many other artists living and dead. If you live on this planet, you will be influenced by what has come before. Even if you are secluded away without mass media or newspapers, I believe your art would reflect the world you live in and resemble some form we’ve seen before.

One underlying fact here is that we take information, sift it, absorb what works then use what God given ability we were given and try like heck to use these techniques to say something worthwhile. Even art that is not intended to be informative and is just playful says something. Art is a way to communicate. It’s one fundamental way humans have tried to outlive their existence and become immortal from the cavemen and women who left behind their impressions of their world. We are doing nothing more that they. This should be at the very heart of all art.

When you factor into the equation commerce then everything changes. Selling is important on many levels today but the underlying issue for most artists is fundamentally to communicate an idea of what they see and/or believe. This is what I try and do every day of my life while creating “original” art.